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THERE are countless things to do to discover the REAL Western Australia. But what are the top 50 experiences? And of those 50 which ones should you make a priority? On this WA Day long weekend Claire Bickers provides her ‘WA bucket list’, ranking from 1 to 50 her top places to peruse. No doubt you’ll agree with some and strongly disagree with others. Either way, it might kickstart an excuse to explore our super state next time you get a chance

1) Explore the WA outback at its purest. A 4WD trip on the 660km Gibb River Road from Derby to Kununurra is a good place to start, with spectacular gorges, red dirt, bush landscapes and cattle stations on the way

2) Sleep under the stars. Camp for free at listed sites or try “glamping” like an A-lister at an eco-resort like Faraway Bay

3) Swim with giant whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef. A two-year trial of Humpback whale tours will be starting there from August

4) Fly over or take a speed boat on Horizontal Falls near Cape Leveque, one of the greatest wonders of the natural world according to David Attenborough. Kununurra Waterfalls, King George Falls and Mitchell Falls are also spectacular

5) Kayak or hike through the spectacular gorges of WA’s north such as Emma Gorge or Geikie Gorge

6) Check out the eerie alien landscape of The Pinnacles at Cervantes, an hour and a half north of Perth

7) Surf or attempt to surf one of the 75 or so breaks at Margaret River. World champions come for the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro in April

8) Tour a winery or 10 in the Margaret River region. Don’t be surprised if you run into the rest of Perth there on long weekends and school holidays

9) Sample some of the famous south west produce — the region is famous for cheese, truffles, marron, wine and chocolate

10) See salt water crocodiles in their natural environment throughout the Kimberley and Pilbara, and their smaller freshwater cousins at Tunnel Creek and Windjana Gorge

11) Swim, surf or just have fish and chips and catch a sunset at Cottesloe, Scarborough or one of Perth’s other beautiful sandy white beaches

12) Visit Broome. Built on the blood, sweat and tears of the pearlers, the town has a fascinating history and plenty to see and do such as dinosaur footprints, the ‘Staircase to the moon’, cocktails at cable beach, camel rides and delicious restaurants

13) Explore the breathtaking coastline of the great southern region but be careful where you swim or fish, seas can be treacherous. Check out The Blowholes, The Gap and the Whaling Station at Albany

14) Explore Fremantle. The port city was voted one of the best cities in the world to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet for its unique blend of hipster bars, craft-beer breweries, quirky local eateries, stores, live music

15) Go whale watching. The largest pod of Killer Whales in the southern Hemisphere has begun to visit the Bremer Bay canyon. Humpback and southern Right Whales can also be seen off Augusta, Dunsborough or Albany

16) Swim in the Kimberley or Pilbara’s natural pools — make sure they’re the ones without crocodiles

17) Take a photo with a Quokka, cycle round the island or kick back at one of Rottnest Island’s 63 beaches and bays

18) Drive through or fly over The Bungle Bungles, 300m-high rock formations in the Purnululu National Park

19) Check out Lake Argyle, an inland sea in the rugged Kimberley landscape where Argyle Diamonds are unearthed. Home to the largest population of freshwater crocodiles in the world — and a few salties despite what most people believe

20) Sample WA’s unique blend of local produce and international cuisine at funky small bars and restaurants cropping up across the city. The State Buildings are a great recent addition

21) Cycle the 1000km Mundi Biddi Trail from Mundaring to Albany, one of the best mountain bike tracks in Australia

22) Visit the world heritage listed Shark Bay — it has one of the largest populations of dugongs in the world, dolphins at Monkey Mia and stunning natural landscape

23) Go snorkelling or diving at The Abrolhos Islands, home to 19 shipwrecks including the Batavia. Also a good spot to fish

24) Take a bush tucker tour out of Broome and learn about the culture and history of WA’s first people

25) Stay at a cattle station or homestead like El Questro in the state’s north

26) Keen for live music at a quirky rock formation in the WA outback? Head to Wave Rock, Hyden for the Wave Rock Weekend

27) Climb Mount Augustus in the Gascoyne. It’s the biggest rock in Australia, two and a half times bigger than Ayers Rock

28) Take a trip out to Lake Ballard near Menzies to see the eerie Gormley Sculptures, 51 humanoid figures scattered across the salt lake by British artist, Sir Antony Gormley. Go in the early morning or evening for the best photos

29) See a football match. It could be anything from an amateur’s weekend match to a West Coast Eagles v Fremantle Dockers derby at Subiaco oval

30) Climb Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges in the Great Southern Region — one of the only spots in WA that ever gets snow

31) Take a hot balloon flight over the Avon Valley to see WA’s stunning wildflowers from April to November

32) Check out the Argyle Diamonds Ord Valley Muster, more than 30 events over 10 days with the highlight concert the Kimberley Moon Experience

33) Fish off the Busselton Jetty – or just walk along it, then get fish and chips at the foreshore nearby

34) Swim, picnic and take the camera along to a south west beach such as Yallingup or Meelup

35) Hike the Bibbulmun Track or walk sections such as the Cape to Cape, between the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin

36) Explore the red cliffs and coast of Kalbarri. Go fishing or kick back in the cosy coastal town. A new skywalk will be open in 2017 for new views over the Murchison River

37) Take in the best views over Perth city with a picnic at Kings Park

38) Visit Australia’s largest open cut gold mine, the Kalgoorlie super pit in the Goldfields. Selfies with the earthmovers are mandatory

39) Tour the largest collection of rock art in the world, between 250,000 and one million art works, at the Burrup Peninsula out of Karratha. Learn about Namarrgon, the Lightning Man, and other Dreamtime stories

40) Visit a Swan Valley winery or cindery, hike or cycle bush tracks or check out a weekend market – it’s only 40 minutes from Perth.

41) Visit the National Anzac Centre at Albany’s Mount Clarence, overlooking King George Sound where troops departed on November 1, 1914 for Europe and WWI

42) Fly over Lake Hillier, a natural neon-pink lake on Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago off Esperance

43) Camp at or day trip to Lucky Bay, said to have the whitest beach in Australia. Matthew Flinders stopped here in 1802 with the HMS Investigator, the first ship to circumnavigate Australia

44) Go through Fremantle Prison at night

45) Explore the cave systems at Yanchep or in the Margaret River region

46) Visit New Norcia. Sample some bread made by local monks or check out the deep space satellite

47) Climb the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree near Pemberton, a 75m-tall Karri Tree using only metal spokes that spiral up the tree, or do the Valley of the Giants treetop walk out of Denmark. It’s like being transported back to the Jurassic Period

48) Go to an open air concert at the Leeuwin estate, Kings Park, Perth Zoo or the epic Southbound event in Busselton

49) Run up Jacob’s Ladder at Kings Park

50) Have a drink at a Kalgoorlie pub and, if it’s on Anzac Day, play a game of two-up.